Shloka 26
सप्तहोतृ-विधानम् एवं इन्द्रिय–मनःसंवादः
The Seven Hotṛs and the Debate of Senses and Mind
वैमनस्यं गतानां च जन्तूनामल्पचेतसाम् | अस्मदर्थ कृते कार्य दृश्यते प्राणधारणम्,जो मनरहित हुए मन्दबुद्धि प्राणी हैं, उनमें भी हमारे लिये ही कार्य किये जानेपर प्राण- धारण देखा जाता है
vaimanasyaṃ gatānāṃ ca jantūnām alpacetasām | asmadarthaṃ kṛte kārye dṛśyate prāṇadhāraṇam ||
Selbst unter stumpfsinnigen Wesen, die in Niedergeschlagenheit geraten und ihre innere Fassung verloren haben, sieht man noch den Trieb, das Leben zu erhalten, wenn eine Aufgabe um unsertwillen unternommen wird. Der Geist weist auf eine feine ethische Wahrheit: Lebewesen erdulden und handeln nicht nur für sich selbst, sondern werden oft durch Pflicht, Abhängigkeit oder die Bedürfnisse anderer dazu bewegt, Leben und Anstrengung zu bewahren.
मन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that the impulse to preserve life and continue effort persists even in beings who are mentally weakened or despondent, especially when responsibility or a task is connected to the needs of others—suggesting an ethical dimension of endurance rooted in duty and relational obligation.
The speaker identified as 'Mind' (मन) reflects on observable behavior in living beings: despite low understanding and inner discouragement, they still keep themselves alive and carry on when a work is to be done for 'our' sake—using this as an illustrative point in a broader moral-philosophical discourse.